Ravens To Move Training Camp From Westminster To Owings Mills

OWINGS MILLS (WJZ)– The end of an era. The Ravens will no longer hold training camp in Westminster. Instead they’ll be in Owings Mills, and camp will be closed to the public.

Andrea Fujii has more on the decision that is disappointing many fans.

The team says it’s a logistical, not a financial move, and they too are sad to end a 15-year tradition.

Training camp at McDaniel College wasn’t just for the players. It was for the fans.

“You could really get close to your team,” a Ravens fan said.

But the Ravens will now hold closed pre-season training in their Owings Mills facility– a decision they didn’t take lightly.

“We completely understand that this takes away an important part of our connection with our fans. I regret that. Hopefully, we can find other ways to continue this outreach,” said owner Steve Bisciotti.

The bottom line: They say Owings Mills is better equipped for the team.

“The bigger picture is we can be a better football team, we can prepare better for the season if we have training camp here in Owings Mills,” the Ravens Vice President Kevin Byrne said.

The team also says they’ve outgrown the hotel where they always stay.

Besides missing the Ravens hype, the city of Westminster will lose money. City officials say training camp brought in nearly $2 million in the last 15 years.

“They stop and get jerseys and stuff at local stores. So it’s hard to imagine,” Kevin Utz, mayor of Westminster, said.

Down the road at Baugher’s restaurant, Ravens fans will miss the excitement.

“I’m a little disappointed. It was fun driving by there sometimes and seeing them practice,” said one person.

But many just want what’s best for the team.

“It seems to me, it didn’t seem practical to have two facilities, one of which is state-of-the-art, from what I understand,” said one person.

The Ravens plan to hold three pre-season practices open to the public next year, with at least one at M&T Bank Stadium.

Before the start of this season, the NFL lockout forced the team to hold training camp in Owings Mills for the first time.

Not going back to Westminister, just wonderful. It’s a slap in the face to the fans both from Westminister and fans in general who can’t afford the exhorbedent cost of taking the families to see their football heroes. Just another thorn in the economy, to the people who depend on the training camp business. Money is god, fans are a dime a dozen. Not to worry the wealthy will always be able to pay the high prices where the blue colar and the rest of the fans struggling to make ends meet. Oh sure they’ll throw a couple of bones to them but I guess the Boss thinks a crumb is better than no bread at all!!

I live in Bel Air so it’s not like us in Eastern Maryland can see them often anyway. Westminster has had them forever, Wouldn’t mind seeing Harford County get a chance at hosting them for once.. If Westminister wanted them so bad how come them waited until the contract ended to care about it? They should’ve developed an extension on the contract like any player or head coach would get. Does Peter Angelos run Westminister?

You do mean the Batlimore Colts Training Camp, right? Where else in Owings Mills will they go? I still remember seeing those Mayflower trucks parked in front of the “Owings Mills Training Camp” that day long long ago….

This is disheartening. Just when I started to believe that we had a local sports franchise owner that was in tune with the fans and actually cared about the fans, we discover that Steve Bisciotti is no better than Peter Angelos. What’s next? Holding the city hostage for stadium improvements or a better stadium? To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. Even that rich little twerp Dan Snyder holds training camp practices open to the public. I guess when $$ is involved tradition means nothing. Bah Humbug

What a damn shame and the Baltimore Ravens Administrators are forgetting that they depend of the support of the fans to put money in their pockets. There are kids from the region and the state who enjoy seeing the Ravens pre season practice and to mingle with the players. What a slap in the face to the kids and to their families who may not be able to afford to go to a game. That really sucks and hope whoever it was who made this decision, go to —-